By: Jan Mazotti Issue: Big Ideas, Smart People Section: Letter From The Editor
The theme of this issue Big Ideas, Smart People...Changing the World was immediately interesting to me. I thought—lots of people have big ideas, but are they really changing the world?
What I found was the answer was, yes! Each big idea, led by a smart person in this issue is indeed changing the world—some in small ways, and some in enormous ways. And what I also found as I edited the stories was that there were common themes—traits if you will—of the "doers" in this issue.
Every person or organization began with a dream, whether it was to create the Internet, to create global peace, to change the way government is handled, to stomp out breast cancer, to bring light, or just to support a person with a warm meal and a compassionate ear.
The common thread throughout all of the stories in this issue is they begin with hope—a hope to create something, a hope to change something, a hope to make a difference. But more than that, each story has interwoven in its text, a message of perseverance, wherewithal, vision, optimism, and sheer will to accomplish the given goal. What’s more, the subjects of these stories embodied wisdom and grace during these life-changing endeavors.
Each story is inspirational in its own way, and reminds us that it only takes one person to make change happen. Whether famous or ordinary, each person/group represents a "doer", doing their part to change something in the world that is important to them.
Big or small, helping to change the world will happen only when you begin to do something! I hope you are as inspired as I am as you read this issue.
All the best,
- Jan Mazotti